


Coffee Date

by agrajag



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-23 03:12:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17072420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agrajag/pseuds/agrajag
Summary: Bitty didn't know what to expect when Dex invited him over for coffee. He stared at the text message for at least a minute, debating whether or not he should walk over to the basement door and call down the stairs that they 'lived in the same Haus. You don't need to text me.'





	Coffee Date

Bitty didn't know what to expect when Dex invited him over for coffee. He stared at the text message for at least a minute, debating whether or not he should walk over to the basement door and call down the stairs that they 'lived in the same Haus. You don't need to text me.' In the end, he decided to simply go downstairs and hopefully not anger him. Dex was naturally angry person but, since the day he had run into the living room, ranting and raving about Nursey 'winning,' he'd been _extra_ angry. Bitty wanted to be able to help him, but despite being friends with Dex for nearly three years, he wasn't sure how to. So if going down to the basement to have coffee with him was what Dex wanted, then that was what Bitty was going to do. 

He grabbed two mugs and filled them with coffee that was (surprisingly) left over from team breakfast. Black for Dex and a totally healthy amount of cream and sugar for himself. He walked down the stairs, carefully balancing the mugs, and thank goodness for that because he almost dropped them when he saw what Dex had done to the basement. He had built a whole other house. _In a day._ Bitty had known Dex was good, but he was still shocked. He set one of the mugs down on the top of the washer so he could knock on the door. Thank God Dex didn't call out something like 'Who is it?' because Bitty would have lost it. No, he just called 'Come on in' through the door, and so Bitty let himself in.

The mini-Haus was set up exactly like how Dex and Nursey had set up Lardo's old room -- bed on the right wall, desk up against the far wall, and dresser on the left room. How in God's name had he fit that all in there? There was even room for a small side table where some high school trophies were displayed and, what Bitty instantly recognized as, Dex's tool kit stored underneath it.

"Wow, this is real cozy," he said as he handed Dex his mug.

"Oh, thank you, for this and the compliment. I, uh, actually..." Dex motioned to a coffee maker that was set up on the desk. "I did ask you over. I wouldn't be a very good host if I didn't offer you coffee."

"You really have it all, huh?" Bitty asked, still taking 'it all' in. "Well, I'll just have to have some of your coffee as well after we finish these."

"I think that much coffee is the last thing you need," Dex joked. "I won't be offended if we just have the Haus coffee. All that means is next time you visit, then we'll have mine."

"Why, Dex, you are being so hospitable. You sound like all that best Southern gentlemen," Bitty said, feigning to swoon. His Moo Maw would be proud if she could see him. "Are you practicing for a full fledged house warming party?"

Dex's smile faltered for a moment, and Bitty wondered if he was thinking about Nursey. Having him in his little bungalow. What if that day had been the final straw, and there was no repairing their friendship? Oh dear, and what of poor Chowder, then? It'd break his heart. But it was just for a moment, and then Dex smiled again.

"Oh no, I don't think I could fit more than two or three guys in here, so that's not much of a party. And I don't want anyone being jealous they weren't invited." Bitty laughed softly at that. "No, I just wanted to have you over. Show you the place. No kitchen for you to admire, but..."

"The curtains?" Bitty asked before Dex even had a chance to motion to them. "I noticed! I love them. The color goes wonderfully with the color you chose for the walls."

Dex's cheeks and ears quickly turned red as he thanked Bitty before busying himself with his coffee.

_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/

"I can't believe you invited Bitty to Haus 1.5 before me," Chowder all but whined from his place firmly planted face down on Dex's bed. "I thought we were BFFs forever, bro."

"I thought we agreed to call it Beta Haus," Farmer said before Dex could respond. She had pulled a folding chair in from the basement -- well the other section of the basement -- because she insisted Dex should get to sit in his own chair at the desk. "I liked Beta Haus."

"It sounds like a bad Disney Channel original movie. I have decided to veto it," Chowder said, still muffled by Dex's pillow.

"Do I get a say in this?" Dex asked. "It _is_ my room."

"No, of course you don't," Farmer said, patting his back.

"Bitty called it a bungalow," Dex said, not looking one bit sad about how he apparently had no say in the name of his room. In fact, one could almost say he looked dreamy. "He's captain, so I bet you his will catch on, and not any of yours."

If Dex was the type to stick out his tongue, he would have.

"Oh, Dex," Farmer said with a sigh. "How are you? How are things? Living with Bitty and everything?"

Chowder and Farmer were the only people who knew about Dex's tragic crush on Bitty. One night, after one too many beers and one too many failed rounds of Mario Kart, Dex had completely unloaded on them. Thank God Nursey had passed out before Dex got sappy and he was blissfully asleep in the corner of Chowder's room. So Dex came out, told them about Bitty, and lamented about how he deserved it all for the shit he had said in the past due to internalized homophobia. A triple whammy. Dex had sworn he was never going to say anything about it because he couldn't live with himself it something happened to what Bitty and Jack said.

"I'm fine, and that's all I'm saying on that matter," Dex said. All trace of a carefree Dex were long gone. "I don't want to talk about it. Ever."

Chowder and Farmer both nodded solemnly, although Chowder looked sort of ridiculous with his face shoved in Dex's pillow.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. That's all I needed to know, hun," Farmer said. She cleared her throat and plastered a smile on her face. "Now, I think our hot chocolate should be cool enough to drink. Let's start this holiday movie-thon."

"Oh, yay! I almost forgot I had hot chocolate," Chowder said, finally sitting up on Dex's bed. "Can we watch The Year Without a Santa Claus first?"

_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/

Nursey was trying to be as quiet as possible as he loaded his clothes into the washer. He knew Dex was a sound architect, but he couldn't be sure how sound proof the walls of his baby Haus were, and he didn't want to bother him. He didn't think he was entirely in the wrong, but like with most of their arguments, they had both said and done some things that were particularly cruel. Nursey had reached the point where he was read to give his apologies and accept Dex's, but Dex normally took a little longer to cool down. Hence why he was tip toeing around the basement as he moved shirt after shirt from his laundry basket into the washer and searched for the laundry detergent. He was managing to be as quiet as a church mouse, so he immediately heard the door open. Even though the hinges were perfectly oiled because, _of course_ they were, it was Dex. He didn't turn around to say hi because he still wasn't sure if it was wanted. Dex froze a few feet from him, and Nursey could hear him sigh under his breath.

"It's beautiful, bro," he said, still facing the washer. He measured out probably more detergent then he needed, but then again he _did_ tend to let his laundry go for as long as he possibly could. "Honestly, you should be so proud. It's mad cozy."

Dex laughed softly.

"Thanks man. You didn't have to say that, and I understand why you don't want to look at me, at the moment."

Nursey turned around so fast he was amazed he didn't get whiplash.

"Of course I want to see you. I'm tired of this. Of us fighting over every little thing. Like, I know that we have our issues, but we can work through them, right? We always find some way to."

"Yeah, and I'm sure we can work through most of those things," Dex agreed. He started nervously playing with the button on the sleeve of his flannel. "But there's one thing that I know will always make us living in the same room, well... awkward."

Nursey quickly averted his gaze. He had thought that he was hiding his feelings well. Really? How could anyone, let alone Dex himself, realize that Nursey liked him when they spent most of their time yelling at each other? Honestly, even he didn't understand completely, but it was what it was. He liked Dex. He had never intended to let it get in the way of them living in the same room. He may have dreamed about how it might eventually open Dex's eyes to how great the two of them could be together, but in the past weeks, it only had made it obvious that Dex was clearly interested in someone else. Nursey couldn't quite figure out who it was, and he wasn't going to pry Dex for details, but he could gather enough to know that if Dex could have made a move, he would have by now. Whoever it was, for some reason, Dex didn't have a chance. Nursey admitted it hurt. Even more so knowing that Dex was aware of his feelings, and he was still pining over someone else, but he wasn't about to wait and pine after Dex himself while he sort out his feelings.

"I'm sorry about that. I thought I was hiding it well. You do know that I would never do anything about it."

"No, of course not," Dex said, loud enough his words reverberated off the basement walls. He waved his hands around and almost accidentally hit Nursey. "I know. That's not why it'd be awkward. It'd be awkward because..."

"You like someone else."

"Uh, yeah. How did you... Do you..."

"I'm a hopeless romantic. I suppose we know our own." Dex laughed softly once more. "And no. I don't know who it is, and if I did, I wouldn't say anything."

"Thank you, man. So, no hard feelings?"

"Well, maybe some hard feelings," Nursey joked, and Dex groaned in disappointment. "But yeah, I suppose you're forgiven. I mean, now we both get our own rooms, and I get a sweet little desk space under my bed. Curtains and everything. So, I don't really think it could have worked out any better."

"A few ways it could be better," Dex said quietly.

"Yeah," Nursey breathed out, just as quietly. "Hey, maybe some day I can come over to the baby Haus and teach you to write some poetry. We can put our unrequited love on paper together. It's very cathartic, I promise."

"Alright. Maybe next week," Dex agreed, surprising Nursey. "Oh, and Bitty dubbed it the bungalow, by the way, so stop calling it baby Haus. You're almost as bad as Chowder and Farmer."

Oh.

_Oh._

Well, that made sense, and suddenly Nursey's heart ached even more.

"Whatever you say, bro," he said, hoping he was putting on his best, brave face. "The bungalow it is. Let's say, Wednesday? We can start with haikus."

"Yeah, I'd like that Nurse."

Dex held out his hand for a fist bump, and if that was all Nursey could have at the moment, he would take it.


End file.
